Yeti

Yes, the rumors I true. When my good buddy and MAD illustrator Tom Richmond was in town two weeks ago, I did, indeed, get talked into riding "Everest". Hated it. But I always hate rides like that. However, the Yeti on the ride ( the silhouetted one in the beginning, not the end one, cause I was closing my eyes, screaming like a little girl, and rededicating my life to God by then), was GREAT! So, in honor of my having ridden Everest for the first and last time, this week's challenge over at my CC Blog is the Yeti! I've already contributed a few of them, but this one is my fave. Looks a bit like Illustraotr again, but I was playing with vectors in Photoshop this time. Could've spent more time to "finish" this one, but felt like drawing it quickly this time around. MAybe I'll finish later.

Trick or Treat!

On the blog for my caricature concession company (my "real job"), Caricature Connection, we've started a weekly challenge for all of the artists. So far, unfortunately, there's not a lot of participation. I'm hoping that changes. I am going to occasionally post some of my challenge entries over here as well, to share them with you guys. I hope you like them. This first one is from this week's challenge, Trick or Treat. I've been reading Amid Amidi's amazing book, CARTOON MODERN, and was inspired by it to do something very design oriented. I thought it might be fun to show you the stages I went through here for this piece. In my continuing quest to be able to be "paperless", I drew this all digitally, on the Wacom. The first sketch (the one on the bottom) was in Photoshop, then I colored it. Then, to try another style, I colored over my lines (this is the middle one). I liked it, but it still looked rough to me. So, I imported it into Illustrator as a template, and traced over it with MANY, MANY layers. I think about thirty of them! It was a lot of work this way (surely there's an easier method?), but I really kind of like the final piece.

McDrawing 1

One of the highlights for me of the recent NCN con was the seminar by my good friend Steve Silver, character designer of TV's Kim Possible (and other shows). He talked a lot about keeping a sketchbook, drawing from life, yet cartooning it. I'd already been doing that to a degree, inspired by talks with him, both at the cons and privately, over the years. Since the con, though, I've been sketching like crazy. I don't eat out as much as I used to, since I've been working out the past few months, but I do eat out more than most people, I'd guess (it's more quiet and peaceful than eating at home, with a two month old here). So, whenever I'm out, I've been taking in my sketchbook. And it's been helping.

You know, I've been working a lot at gigs as usual, and stay very busy with freelance still, but I ALWAYS make time to practice and to study my craft. I recommend it to all artists. Ted and I talk about this a lot. We don't just draw while we're on the job. We eat it, sleep it, etc. I, and Ted in turn, learned this from people like Silver and Tom Richmond, both of whom are insanely talented and very successful in their fields. Also from Joe Bluhm, who is also insanely talented and whose crazy success is coming...he's still young. I feel privileged to have people like them who are my inspirations, whom I can also call friends. Swimmers swim. Weightlifters lift weights. Runners run. Accountants..uh..count. You get the picture. Drawers, I mean..ARTISTS, draw.

Okay, enough soapbox. You get what I'm saying. Anyway...here's a recent drawing from a fine dining establishment I frequent that I like to call McDonald's.....